Chapter 13 Names Summary and Analysis

Bryson discusses a variety of naming traditions in the English-speaking world. As far as people are concerned, he discusses the process of the development of the British surname from Middle Ages to the present, explaining many of the strange and confusing pronunciations and combinations that develop into modern British surnames. A similar study is made of American surnames, tracing the immigrant names that adapt and change to suit American pronunciation and spelling patterns.

In addition to people names, place names have also had a similar process in both England and America. The original names in Celtic or Native American times have slowly shifted in spelling and pronunciation over time so that often the modern name looks or is spelled in a way that greatly contrasts with its original name or meaning.